The use of automated machines for filling containers with flowable powdered or granular material is well known. These powdered or granular materials include a broad range of food products, including but not limited to; milk products, condiments, tea, coffee, sugar, cocoa, rice, seeds and the like; as well as a general line of chemicals, including but not limited to; cleaners, lyes, crystals, and the like. Machines of this general type have found a wide range of acceptance in a wide range of industries including; the food, chemical and cosmetic industries, for the purpose of packaging all manner of dry materials. A certain machine which has found wide acceptance in the aforementioned industries is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,662, entitled, "Container Filling Apparatus", which issued July 6, 1976, wherein Graeme Warner of Hinsdale, Illinois is the patentee. The operation of the patented machine has been widely accepted as being satisfactory; however, a problem may arise when the patented machine is used with certain powdered or granular materials and in particular, those materials which have poor flowability because of a high fat content or other properties of the material. Machines which have a construction such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,662, utilize measuring flasks which have a construction similar to the construction of the measuring flask shown in FIG. 4 of that patent. Typically, the flask includes a head which is connected to a thin wall tube which extends downward. The interior surface of the head has a generally conical interior surface having a taper between 5.degree. and 15.degree.. When a measuring flask is used with a powdered or granular material which has poor flowability, because the material has a high fat content or for other reasons, the material in some instances, may hang up in the head. Thus, all of the material in the flask is not delivered to a respective container.
It is desirable to provide a measuring flask construction wherein granular or powdered material having poor flowability will not hang up in the measuring flask. Thus, all of the material contained in the flask will be delivered to a container which is adapted for receiving and holding the subject material.